World Test Championship can revive red-ball cricket: Boycott

Karachi: England legend Geoffrey Boycott has hailed the introduction of the World Test Championship, which is set to be launched in 2017, saying that the tournament is a good idea as it can give a much-needed `shot in the arm` to Test cricket.

The Test championship, originally planned for 2013 but delayed because broadcasters wanted a limited overs event, will replace the Champions Trophy, the last edition of which was hosted by England earlier this year.

According to www.PakPassion.net, Boycott has hailed the introduction of Test cricket as a `good idea`, saying that as compared to the large-scale marketing of Twenty20 cricket nowadays, Test cricket has taken the back seat, adding that if cricket administrators are not more careful, in thirty or so years there will be nobody watching Test cricket.

According to Boycott, the World Test Championship can help in reviving Test cricket, adding that it is necessary to keep selling Test cricket even though it has been going on for two hundred years.

Boycott also approved of the idea of playing Test matches at night, saying that in this way, youngsters will be brought up to enjoy Test match cricket as then the public will not have to take a day off work and will be able to take their families to a Test match, although he suggested reducing the number of overs to keep the format flexible.